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In 1994, the Wonder Stuff broke up. Now, twelve years after the act’s last album, the UK pop-rockers have released Escape From Rubbish Island, a sturdy, energetic set of radio-friendly alt-pop. Original members/founders Miles Hunt and Malcolm Treece recruited a new rhythm section and set out to prove their enduring relevance just in time for a resurgence of interest in John Major-era UK rock. Despite a few lyrical cliches and too-familiar chord changes, the effort is surprisingly successful. Hunt’s lyrics are as witty and incisive as ever, his voice brawny and his workmanlike grasp of a good hook exceptional. More than a trip down memory lane or a quick jaunt to the nostalgia cashbox, this latest incarnation of the Wonder Stuff will gain a new generation of fans with its vitality and energy. With any luck, they’ll stick together this time.